Meet Cordless Pedalboard Power
by Mark King
Joyo is unlike many budget priced pedal producers, they don’t just buy pedals from a low cost supplier with their name on them and resell them as their own product.
Joyo is an innovator, creating unique pedals and accessories which are only available from them. I don’t work for them or have any affiliation with Joyo but I do own and like a lot of their products.INTRODUCING JOYO POWER SUPPLY 5
The Joyo Power Supply 5 (PS5) is a compact box style pedalboard power supply which features eight stompbox pedal power outlets and a single 5-volt USB style output which could be used to power or charge a cell phone.
Three 500 mA, and five 100 mA outlets are provided at 9-volts DC. One of the 9-volt outputs can alternatively be switched to 12 or 18-volts at 100 mA, suitable for a high-headroom buffer pedal. Each of the 9-volt outputs is accompanied by a bright blue LED light which lights to tell you the associated output is functioning correctly. An almost invisible button allows you to turn off the LEDs to save battery power after you’ve confirmed all the power connections are operating correctly.
On the rear of the PS5 a single master rocker switch turns all battery power on or off. A 9-volt wall power supply is provided and is used to recharge the PS5. A light on top of the PS5 glows green when power is ON, when the battery begins to get discharged and is ready for charging the light on top turns to yellow. I have connected the charger and pumped juice into the battery while using the supply to drive pedals with no ill effects or problems from charging during use.
USING IT
Power Supply 5 does not provide isolated power, there is some ground impedance connection between the power supply outlets. When in use as a pure battery supply there is no ground loop connection because there is zero connection to the power grid. Battery power provides the ultimate in isolation.
In use the PS5 supplies power to your pedal effects just like almost every other budget box-style power supply. The one HUGE difference is that the PS5 does not need to be connected to wall power to power-up your pedalboard.
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| PS5 in use powering up latest test rig, NO AC power required! |
In use I’ve run the PS5 for more than 4-straight hours using all the power outlets to drive an array of mA-hungry effect pedals. After four hours I finally got the yellow indicator light that tells you it’s time to charge up. If I turn off the PS5 when I take a break or eat dinner I can get two four hour jam sessions out of a single battery charge.
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| Power Supply 5 comes with AC battery charger |
PS5 has 9VDC regulated outputs so even though the battery runs down the outlets remain at 9-volts until the battery is used up at which point the PS5 shuts down. This is different than what happens with individual 9-volt batteries which go down in voltage with use. A depleted 9-volt alkaline battery is down around 6.4VDC, that causes terrible performance from digital gadgetry. So besides the convenience and freedom of battery power the PS5 also offers superior DC output compared to other solutions.
If I was performing live I would have PS5 supplies mounted on my pedalboard and driving my pedals. These eliminate the need to connect your pedalboard to wall current at a gig, no more stringing extension cords and no audio ground loops. You could use the USB output on the PS5 to drive an iPad or charge your phone.
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| I install a thermal label on each wall wart power supply |
With Joyo Power Supply 5 you just plug your pedalboard in to charge at home with the included charger. Next time you want to use your pedalboard you’re charged and ready!
EPILOGUE
I’ve now been using and experimenting with a pair of these Joyo Power Supply 5 models for the last six months and so far I can find nothing to not like. With a PS5 and a handful of DC power supply cables I can very quickly power up a unique and experimental array of pedals for jamming and recording.
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| Impromptu pedalboard power wiring |
It’s great convenience to not need an AC extension cord and an available wall power outlet to power my effects. Power Supply 5 brings the power source to my pedals. That means less time hooking my stuff up and more time playing guitar.
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| The Handy Power Supply 5 |
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music to You!
This article is ©2021 by Mark King, it's not ok to copy or quote without written permission.
